A36 Friday, April 20, 2018
Abbotsford News
Spring Home & Garden
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How to clean and prepare outdoor furniture for the season As temperatures rise, people increasingly venture outdoors to soak up the sun, enjoy the mild breezes and entertain under the open sky. Clean and comfortable furniture can make outdoor entertaining that much more enjoyable. Continued on page A37
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Abbotsford News
Friday, April 20, 2018 A37
Cleaning outdoor furniture protects your investment Continued from page A36
After months in storage or nestled under protective tarps, outdoor furniture likely needs a good cleaning before it’s put to the test once again. Mildew may have formed, insects may be hiding out within cushions or other crevices and dirt may have accumulated — even if the furniture was cleaned before being stored away. Experts recommend cleaning outdoor furniture between three and four times per year to keep it in optimal condition. Before cleaning, determine the material your furniture is made of, as some cleaning products may not be safe for all materials. When in doubt, read the care tags on cushions and other products or refer back to the original packaging for cleaning instructions. Always test a cleaning solution in an inconspicuous area first. The following are some additional general furniture cleaning guidelines.
Glass Dish detergent and general home cleaning solutions work well on glass surfaces. Remember to clean all sides, including bottom-facing areas. After cleaning, use vinegar or a glass cleaning solution and a microfibre cloth to produce a streak-free shine. Outdoor cushions Outdoor fabrics are derived from different materials. However, this general-purpose recipe, courtesy of the DIY Network, may help clean many outdoor fabrics. Mix
1 teaspoon dishwashing detergent, 1 quart warm water and 1 tablespoon borax together. Saturate a sponge and use it to wash the cushions. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then spray it off with a high-force hose. Stand the cushions on their edges to dry outdoors. Remember, vinegar can help inhibit mildew growth. Therefore, keep a bottle of diluted vinegar around to spray on plastic mesh and furniture that gets wet from the rain or a pool. Store outdoor furniture away from inclement weather whenever possible to prolong its life.
Should moulding be the same colour as the walls? When it comes time to paint a room, the moulding (or trim) presents an interesting conundrum: should it be the same colour as the walls? The answer: it all depends on the desired effect — and the look of the moulding. Plain doorframes without any particular aesthetic features, for example, are usually best left to blend in with the surrounding wall. The same goes for a door that’s poorly framed — drawing attention to crooked trim is sure to disrupt the visual flow of the room. If your moulding is quite plain, you might still choose to make it subtly stand out by painting it the same shade as the walls, but in a glossier, light-catching finish. If your moulding is ornate, don’t hesitate to make it pop! Create contrast by using white, grey or black. If you decide to go with white, make sure you choose a shade that matches the rest of the room’s colour palette — in other words, don’t use a crisp, cool white to trim a wall that’s painted in a rich, warm hue. Finally, remember that if your moulding is a different colour than your walls, it’s a good idea to paint all
Wood Wood comes in many varieties, from hard and softwoods to wicker furniture. Mild oil-based soaps and products geared especially to cleaning wood can be handy. On wicker and painted woods, it may be best to dilute the solutions before use. Hardwood furniture and built-in decking structures may benefit from annual sanding and then reapplication of a protective finish to maintain the look of the wood for long periods of time. Plastic resin Commercial cleansers may be too harsh to use on plastic resin furniture. Before risking discolouration or scratching, try some ingredients that may be lying around the house. For example, use a wet sponge dipped in baking soda as a mild abrasive to clean resin. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse off the powdery residue afterward. Automatic dishwasher detergent mixed with a gallon of warm water also may do the trick. The detergent contains a mild bleaching agent that will not cause damage like straight bleach.
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A38 Friday, April 20, 2018
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4 tips for decorating the top of your kitchen cabinets
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n the mood to add some character to your kitchen? Here are four easy ways to embellish that empty space between your cabinets and ceiling.
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1. ADD WALLPAPER Brighten up the space above your cabinets with wallpaper. Make sure to choose colours and designs that will complement the style of your kitchen nicely.
3. ADD SEASONAL PLANTS Create a natural environment tailored to each season by playing up the space with a beautiful selection of plants and other types of vegetation. Bright pastel coloured flowers are are perfect for spring. Come summer, opt for tropical plant varieties that you can replace with colourful foliage and decorative gourds and pumpkins come fall. Garlands of pine are an excellent choice for the winter season.
2. CREATE A PERSONAL LIBRARY If you own a collection of books, keep them on top of your cabinets and embellish the space with handcrafted bookends made from kitchen accessories. You could use a set of antique jugs or colourful cast-iron cookware, for example. Alternatively, use your collection of favourite decorating items.
4. DISPLAY YOUR CHINA If you have decorative dinnerware, show it off. You could also use the empty space above your cabinets to store your every day dishes in colourful fabric baskets. Alternatively, if you have favourite collectibles, no matter the subject, why not show them off on top of your cabinets?
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Abbotsford News
Friday, April 20, 2018 A39
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How to choose the right mirror While we mainly use them to look at our own reflections, mirrors can serve a number of other purposes. They can increase the amount of light in a room, create the illusion of space in tight areas, or simply embellish your overall decor. Need some tips on how to navigate the multitude of models available on the market? Keep reading. Function • First off, know that the shape and size of the mirror will depend on how you intend to use it. • If you want to be able to see yourself from head to toe, the mirror has to be at least half as tall as you are. • To visually enlarge a space, opt for a wide, oversized model. • In a playroom, one or more mirrors cut in fun shapes — animals, clouds, etc. — will add a unique touch. • An atypical mirror can even serve in lieu of a work of art. Form • Just like any other decorative element, a
mirror should match the style and palette of a room as well as the surrounding furniture. • A golden-framed mirror would look great in a glamorous setting. • Simple square mirrors work wonders in modern interiors. • A series of small mirrors would be perfect for a hallway. • Soft voluptuous shaped mirrors will add romance to a bedroom. • A designer mirror made of glass fragments will amaze guests and be the centre of attention in a living room. • Picture mirrors, whose frames are painted with a decorative pattern are interesting in a living room or rec room. • The size of your mirrors should make sense compared to the overall amount of space you’re working with. • A word of advice: always leave a strip of empty wall space around mirrors to prevent a cramped look. To find the perfect mirror for your needs, browse your local home decor stores — or, better yet, have one custom made!
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A40 Friday, April 20, 2018
Abbotsford News
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Veggie container gardening One of the most rewarding aspects of gardening is the enjoyment of growing your own vegetables. While many homes lack large backyards for a vegetable garden many small areas and patios can be turned into extremely productive fresh harvest areas using containers.
Geranium kiss tomato is an excellent stocky plant that produces loads of golf ball size fruit of excellent flavour. Another unique dwarf variety is Tasmanian Chocolate Tomato. It produces large beefsteak size fruit on a sturdy three foot plant.
Most vegetables need 6 or more hours of sunlight to produce well. If you have low light areas on your patio try growing lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard or salad greens as they will grow in lower light conditions.
Peppers Candy Cane Red is a great snack variety with variegated foliage with fruit that ripens from green striped to red. It is grown for its sweet flavour perfect for fresh eating and salads. It needs little or no support. Many of the hot pepper varieties have a natural compact growth habit and are ideal for small spaces.
Soil is everything. A good organic potting soil that is designed for vegetable container growing is what to look for. Mixes such as these will avoid compaction and allow for good root development. Don’t use topsoil or garden soil that will be too heavy and hold too much moisture. Mix in a handful or two of Nurseryland organic fertilizer 5-2-4 as well as a shovelfull of steer manure and you are set for planting. Choosing the right container depends upon what you are growing. Shallow growing herbs and vegetables like lettuce, peas and beans can be grown in five to six inches of soil. Tomatoes and peppers will need twelve inches or more in depth. Remember the larger the container the less worry. Larger containers don’t dry out as fast in the hot summer afternoons. Consistent moisture is important for good growth and productivity. Drainage is important as well so be sure the pot can drain. One of the keys to success is making good plant choices. Choose compact, productive varieties of vegetables that take up less space yet still provide plenty to harvest. Here are a few I love: Tomatoes Tomatoes are a must for fresh summer salads. One of my favourite compact growers is Iditarod Red a wonderfully productive producer of round red two to four ounce fruit, perfect for containers.
Eggplant If you like eggplant try Hansel, a great Japanese variety that is a natural for container growing. It is a non-bitter and dark purple in colour. It grows four to six inch narrow fruit that are perfect for grilling or added to any veggie pizza. Salad Greens For fresh salad greens such as lettuce and spinach it’s advisable to sow seeds in two week intervals. This way you always have a fresh crop of salad greens coming on all summer long. They are very easy to grow and convenient for harvest. Planters of peas, onions, radish, kale, carrots, beans, and even potatoes are all easily done in containers. It is actually very exciting how many varieties of vegetables can be grown successfully in containers. But some varieties are easier to manage due to size restrictions than others so be sure to check. There is a strong trend of growing our own great tasting food in an urban environment. Food grown at home simply tastes better. Growing your own food is fun, rewarding and nutritious. Dan Trayler, Homestead Nurseryland & Florist